It's Memorial Day

...unplug yourself and enjoy your family.

Do something together.

Make a memory or two!

Two Great Things Combined...

I just love it when someone gets the idea to put two things together that you wouldnt' normally think would go together.

Below is the newest of these products. Here's the question...how many of you would give this a shot?

The Scooter Stroller...looks like a lot of fun!

Heart-work is hard-work!

We live in a world that promotes sensuality and immorality. As a little bit of a history buff (spent quite a lot of money on history classes in college), I can tell you that no other time (with the possible exception of the late Roman empire) in history rivals our current society's love of all things sexual, sensual, and promiscuous.

I ran across an article the other day that laid out a few tips on how to begin to prepare the hearts of your youngsters for a life of purity admidst such a promiscuous and sexual world. Here are there four tips...

1. It's never too early
2. Be proactive
3. Show that God's love is IN His boundaries
4. Prepare children to stand out

Read more - Guarding the Heart: Purity in a Promiscuous World

Airplane Mode

When's the last time you went into "airplane mode"? Before every flight begins, there's an announcement to turn off and stow all personal electronic devices. These things include cell phones, iPods, laptops, etc.

These are all great tools for connection, but there are so many times in life where these devices often hinder "real" connection. They can often hinder connection for those who matter most to us...our spouses and/or our children. We are connected and disconnected all at the same time. It's quite the paradox.

I'll confess to you, that I love my phone. I especially love being able to get on the internet from it, check facebook with it, get my email, and text. What I don't love about it is how often I can find myself way too dependent on it, and ignorant of what is going on around me.

So, here's the question for the day. When are you going into "airplane mode" next? When are you going to shut it all off for an extended period of time and just "connect." Maybe you need to shut it off to connect with your Heavenly Father, or perhaps, you need to shut it off and reconnect some with your family.

We've got a holiday weekend coming up...it might be the perfect time!

Mom's and Daughter's

There's may not be any other relationship that has so much potential (both good and bad) than the relationship between a mother and a daughter. One of the growing problems in our culture is the extreme lack of "modesty" that young ladies are learning, and moms hold the key to this principle and whether or not their daughters learn it. In a world of Miley Cyrus, Victoria Secret, and the like, why not start teaching our daughters a "different way." This website below addresses lots of those issues (as well as others) in a fun way.

I ran across this website the other day, and it is a great resource for both mom's and daughters. Moms, if your daughter is 7-13, you should click on this website right away. If your daughters are younger, get ready for it!

Secret Keeper Girl

"I learned it by watching you"

Do you remember this commerical?



Although, a little over the top...the principle they were trying to convey is appropriate. Your children learn most from watching you. Their little eyes are always watching. They're always absorbing information about how the world works. They follow your lead in so many cases.

So, the tough question is...

...What are they learning from you?

Ideas for Family Dinners

Dinner time can be an important time in the life of a family. For some families, a "sit-down-all-together-as-family" meal is hard to come by. If you're not getting them at some point, beware. Make it happen a few times during the week, parents...it makes a huge difference. This article has "13 great ideas for family dinners."

13 Ideas for Great Family Dinners

This list isn't exhaustive, but perhaps they'll get your creativity going and will help you look to prioritize family time, sitting around the table.

Just for Laughs: Jesus or a Squirrel?

Jesus or a Squirrel?

The story is told about a pastor who was into telling stories to the children. He'd bring all the children up, and they'd sit on the floor, and he'd tell them a story. One day he said, "Boys and girls, I want to tell you a story about someone who likes to live in the woods, but sometimes we can see him in our yards. Anybody have any idea who I am talking about?"

No takers. He said, "I want to tell you about a creature that lives in the woods and sometimes in our yards, has a big bushy tail, likes to eat nuts. Anybody have any idea what I'm talking about?"

No takers. He said, "I'm talking about a creature that lives in the woods, sometimes in our yards, big bushy tail, eats nuts, likes to climb trees, jumps from tree to tree--now, does anybody know what I'm talking about?"

One kid raised his hand to take him out of his misery. The pastor said, "Do you know what I'm thinking about?"

The kid said, "Yeah. I know the answer should be Jesus, but it sounds like a squirrel to me."

You Know You Want To...

They've frustrated you time and time again...so how about a little payback.

In this article, the author lays out 10 ways that you can frustrate your kids.


1.Don’t bond with your young child by giving him physical affection, time and attention.

2.Believe that professional child-care providers are adequate substitutes for your nurture and connection with your child.

3.Don’t cuddle, read, talk with or play with your young child.

4.Ignore all the fuss and hassle about rules, routines and discipline. Focus on letting them express themselves.

5.Don’t impose your moral and spiritual values on your child. Let her discover her own when she is ready.

6.Don’t let him feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for his choices.

7.Live your life through your child. His success is yours. His failure is yours. His achievement should help you feel better.

8.Never allow your child to be held accountable by having to experience consequences for her behavior.

9.Expect the best, even in areas where she isn’t gifted. Frequently remind her of her potential.

10.Don’t waste your time talking and dealing with issues of importance.



There are some pretty good thoughts in that list. Ephesians 6:4 talks about not "exasperating" your children (especially fathers). Are you doing some of these things...you may just be exasperating/frustrating your kids.

And even though they probably deserve a little frustration for how they've frustrated you in the past, it's good to remember that our Heavenly Father doesn't treat us in ways we "deserve."

Where did they learn that?

There's no doubt that you've been face-to-face with your child (after a particular "mid-doing") and wandered in your head...

...where did they learn that?
...what kind of heathen child spoiled the innocence of my precious, innocent child?
...I bet it was the TV?
...public school is the devil?

Ok, that last one might have gone a little too far, but the point is the same. We're always wondering how our children learn something. I recently read a post from another blogger. He called it "CSI-ing where your kids learned bad stuff."

CSI-ing where your kids learned bad stuff

The really hard question to face is, "Maybe they learned it from me."

Gauges

Every car has them...most factories are full of them. We've become so accustomed to seeing them, that we DON'T see them...or at least we don't pay attention to them very often. What am I talking about - gauges? Those little devices on your dash that give you vital information about the operation of your car.

Well, the family has "gauges" as well. How else will you know how your family is operating? Pay attention to the "gauges." They are there to make sure your familiy runs optimally. Here are a couple of gauges from a recent article I read...



1. The “speedometer” - This is the “pacing” question. Are we moving at a healthy pace that we can sustain or are we running “in the red?” We can’t just monitor the things from ministry that directly include us, but we must also factor in the other things that make life what it is: soccer, gymnastics, the kids’ school, health, marriage, money and home repairs. I never make this health assessment alone. Men are not typically emotionally intuitive and can be blind to the relational redlining occurring. If you don’t believe me, just ask your wife. She will tell you the real truth.

2. The “RPM”s - This is the stress question. How hard are we pushing to make this thing go? Are we shifting gears smoothly in our relationships or are we “grinding the gears” like a 16-year-old boy driving a stick shift for the first time with his critical Dad in the passenger seat? Do Mom and Dad need more time together--alone? Is more time or energy needed with a particular child? You can usually “listen to the engine” through the tone of the conversations taking place in home to monitor the stress level in the home.

3. The “gas” gauge - This is the margin question. Every ministry family I know is strapped for time and often other resources. The families that go the distance are the ones that have enough gas in their tank for the long haul. They are consciously and consistently refueling through weekly days off, “Date Nights,” “Daddy Dates,” vacations and daily spiritual tune-ups to keep the engine running more efficiently. Again, if you want to know exactly how much gas is really in the family or marriage tank, ask your wife. She knows.


Taken from - The Family Dashboard

National Day of Prayer

Today is traditionally the National Day of Prayer in our country. Members of Firewheel have been praying since midnight, and we'll continue to pray around the clock until midnight tonight.

Speaking of prayer...if you haven't stopped today and prayed for your kids...stop right now.

For extra credit...gather the kids around tonight and have everyone pray together.

Tips for Dads

Dads, you're important. No one can do for your kids what you can do for your kids...I ran across these tips the other day from anohter website (see link at bottom). Thought I would share them with you today.

1.Prioritize fatherhood. Some dads worry that by emphasizing family so much they will lose their edge at the workplace and not be as competitive for positions as those who lack family ties or neglect them. Research doesn't support that fear. Plan your work around your family. Decide that father-child time is not negotiable, but work time is. With calendar or planner in hand, schedule first the activities of your children, the school events, the games, then write in your work obligations.

2.Get involved with your child from the beginning. Remember, there is only one thing you can't do for a baby. And even then, you can still establish a role for yourself: bathing, burping, comforting and taking the baby out for a walk.

3.Become an Expert Dad. Keep up with the language of child rearing. Talk to other dads informally or in groups or in parenting classes. Read articles and books about good fathering. In too many families, the woman becomes the "expert" and Dad feels relegates his responsibilities to her. Don't let that happen to you.

4.Have regular one-on-one time with each child. Sometimes it's fun to talk while you're doing errands or making home repairs, but be sure that there are times that you turn off the TV, put down the newspaper, and give your kids your undivided attention. Arrange alone times with your kids. Go out to eat a favorite meal or to do an activity the child enjoys or just go on an errand alone together.

5.Show affection often. Even if older kids seem squeamish, kids enjoy a hug and always enjoy encouraging words from their dad. My son's friends asked why he had such a random collection of shirts from so many different cities. He said his Dad brings shirts from the trips he has been on.

6.Make yourself Available Always. Interrupt your meetings when anyone in the family calls. Learn to text and respond quickly. Don't be busy all of the time. Build in opportunities for spontaneous conversations.

7.Take kids to work. This is a great way to teach them about the world of work that you are a part of. Take kids with you on business trips when possible.

8.Stay connected when you have to be away. Sometimes work takes dads out of town. Set up a routine to stay connected. Some families schedule a specific time Dad will call that is convenient for all members of the family. When you return, bring home something special for the kids. It need not be extravagant. My boys wear my gifts proudly.

9.Teach them. No dad has every gift or skill. Kids may learn certain things from other males in their lives. Use opportunities to share your talents. In my family, I lack auto mechanical ability, but I have passed on the gift and love of sports by personally coaching their teams.

10.Connect with your child at all levels. Make sure you have some contact with every aspect of your child's life. Visit the school, meet the teacher and kids and have at least fleeting contact with an after-school activity. If you have seen where your children are and met their friends, you will have more to talk about and more interesting conversations. Parent involvement during children's schooling is critical to their school success. Work with your employer to see that your work schedule doesn't preclude your involvement in your child's schooling.

Original Source - Dad Tips